Adversity Became My Ally and Awakened My Belief
[⇒ Watch Michael's video interview here]
Michael Taylor—better known today as Coach Michael Taylor—is a self-described irrepressible optimist. But optimism wasn't handed to him; it was forged through fire.
Born in the inner-city projects of Corpus Christi, Texas, Michael was raised by a single mother alongside five siblings. Poverty wasn't just a backdrop—it was the main stage of his early life. His mother, despite the hardships, planted in him a seed of resilience.
She would say, “If you want something badly enough, no one and nothing can stop you except yourself.”
That belief would shape him for life.
At age seven, his world shifted again when he was sent to live with his grandparents while his older sister battled illness. What followed was a period of profound trauma, as he endured every imaginable form of child abuse. It wasn’t until he was thirteen that he was reunited with his mother—a moment that brought some comfort, but the emotional scars ran deep.
In high school, he found himself restless. Traditional education felt boring and disconnected from the life he wanted. So, in the eleventh grade, he dropped out—convinced he could find success another way. His first attempt? Selling vacuum cleaners. It was a total flop. Not a single sale.
But he wasn’t afraid of work. He found a job at a building supply centre, and by sheer determination, he rose quickly through the ranks, becoming the youngest manager in the company’s history by age 22. By 23, he appeared to be living the American Dream: a wife, kids, a home. On the outside, it looked like success. But within six years, it all unravelled. A divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and a deep depression followed. He ended up homeless, living out of his car for two years.
During that time, a pivotal question surfaced: “What does it mean to be a man?” He had done everything society told him would bring happiness—and he was miserable. That question became the gateway to what he calls his “journey of transformation.”
Driven by both pain and what he describes as "divine discontent," Michael committed to change. He dove into seminars, self-help books, and began the slow work of rebuilding. At first, he didn’t recognize it as spiritual—he was an atheist then. But something inside him, an inner voice, kept whispering, “You can do this, Michael.” He learned to trust it.
Then one night, alone in a run-down apartment and too depressed to sleep, he spotted a book on his shelf about getting rich. A new thought hit him like lightning: “What if I put all the energy I’ve been using to try to get rich into figuring out how to be happy?” That question, he says, saved his life.
Though he didn’t yet believe in a higher power, Michael began to understand that the mind was a powerful force. As a science-minded person, he found resonance with thinkers like Bob Proctor and the idea that “thoughts become things.” If he could train his mind, he believed, he could rebuild his life.
Eventually, even his spiritual beliefs began to shift. It started, ironically, with The God Delusion by atheist Richard Dawkins. Reading it sent him into a deep psychological and emotional exploration. Something was still missing, he sensed. Then came a late-night television interview with a Buddhist monk. Raised Baptist, he had been taught that even thinking about other religions would send him to hell. But something the monk said resonated deeply.
Curious, he visited a Buddhist temple and began studying Buddhism. It opened a new world to him—one that emphasized inner peace over dogma. Over time, he found himself returning to spiritual texts of all kinds: Judaism, Islam, and eventually, the Bible. One night, a voice told him to buy one. He did—and opened to the book of John. As he read Jesus' words, it felt like the divine was sitting beside him. Waves of love poured over him, and he burst into tears. “God wasn’t out there,” he realised, “God was right here—in me—the whole time.”
It was a moment of profound awakening.
Not long after, a colleague introduced him to Unity Church. At first, he brushed it off—“I’m a recovering Baptist,” he joked. But then, a series of uncanny coincidences led him to a local Unity congregation. When he walked through the doors, he felt a surge of energy. There were books by all his favourite authors: Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson. The minister began with meditation—something the Baptist church had warned against. But to Michael, it felt like coming home. He knew then: this is my community.
He considered becoming a Unity minister, but soon realized he didn’t need a title to have a ministry. His life would be his ministry.
One of his first calls to action was writing a book. After his divorce, he wanted to speak directly to Black men about healing, therapy, and transformation. He sent his manuscript to 60 publishers. Fifty-nine said no. One said yes—if he changed the emphasis. He refused. The book needed to remain true to its purpose. Later, he saw a book called The Gas We Pass in a bookstore—published by one of the companies that rejected him. “Really?” he thought, “You’ll publish a book about passing gas but not about healing Black men?”
So, he got a job at that very bookstore, learned the industry, and started his own publishing company. He’s now published 16 books, including Adversity Is Your Greatest Ally. One even found its way into the hands of a police officer—after pulling him over for speeding!
Michael’s true joy is writing. He sees it as a divine download—ideas flowing through him from a higher source. But the journey didn’t stop there.
Twenty-five years ago, while living in his car, he discovered Mike Dooley and his Notes from the Universe. One quote changed his life: “Thoughts become things.” Inspired, he created a vision board with sticky notes on the back seat of his car. One read: “One day I want to share the stage with Mike Dooley.” It took 25 years, but he did it.
His life now is dedicated to reminding others of their power. “We are divine expressions of God,” he says, “and it’s our responsibility to recognise that. When we do, nothing is impossible.”
His favourite quote? One from Rumi: “Allow yourself to be pulled by the strange pull of that which you truly love. It will never lead you astray.”
For Michael Taylor, that pull was writing. For others, it might be something else. But whatever it is, he says, trust it. Because when you do, nothing is impossible.
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